'Korea's No. 1' Park Minji Starts 2nd Consecutive Win Push with 5-Under Par... Song Gaeun Leads at 8-Under Par

NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship Day 1 Tied 7th, Amateur Hwang Yumin "7-Under Par Storm", LPGA Member Lee Mirim Struggles at 1 Over Par

Park Min-ji is holing out at the 12th hole on the first day of the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship. Photo by KLPGA

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Starting the march for a second consecutive win."

It is the early sprint of 'Korea's No. 1' Park Min-ji (24, NH Investment & Securities). On the 13th, at Suwon Golf Club in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 6,581 yards), the first day of the KLPGA Tour NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship (total prize money 800 million KRW) ended with her posting 5-under par, placing her in a tie for 7th. Last year's Rookie of the Year Song Ga-eun (22) leads with 8-under par, and amateur Hwang Yu-min (18, Sinseong High School) along with Choi Eun-woo (27) are tied for 2nd place, one stroke behind at 7-under par 65, causing a stir.

Park Min-ji was the six-time champion last year. This tournament is especially her 'winning stronghold' where she secured her second victory of the season. It is interesting that her early season was hindered by COVID-19. She missed the 2022 season opener Lotte Rent-a-Car Ladies Open due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, finished tied for 28th at the Mediheal Championship, and withdrew from the Nexen Saint Nine Masters due to lingering COVID-19 aftereffects. Fortunately, her recent form is improving with a tie for 4th at the KLPGA Championship and a tie for 8th at the Kyochon Honey Ladies Open.

On this day, she made five birdies without any bogeys. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), she opened the scoring early with a birdie at the 13th hole (par 3), then gained momentum with 'stepping stone birdies' at the 17th hole (par 5) and the first hole of the back nine (par 4). She added birdies at the 4th hole (par 5) and the final 9th hole (par 4). Park Min-ji, who said "my condition has improved a lot," expressed satisfaction despite missing a 1.5-meter birdie putt at the 15th hole, saying, "I want to win on the sponsor's stage," showing confidence.

Song Ga-eun is examining the putting line on the 6th hole during the first day of the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship. Photo by KLPGA

Song Ga-eun combined nine birdies with one bogey. Leading with a green hit rate of 88.89% and 'computer iron shots,' she notably made two sets of four consecutive birdies from holes 3 to 6 and 11 to 14, showcasing her strong momentum. The leaders include Lee So-mi (23), Bae So-hyun (28), and Park Bo-gyeom (24), all tied for 4th place at 6-under par 66, while current prize money leader Yoo Hae-ran (21) is tied for 43rd at 1-under par 71. LPGA Tour member Lee Mi-rim (32) also remains tied for 89th at 1-over par 73.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.